A Thousand Years
by Wolf-lover-girl
Summary: AU/Extended version of the Mergana confrontation. Morgana calls Merlin out for everything he's done, with a magic face-off. The end result is not changed; their destiny is set in stone. (One-shot, Mergana.)


_**...I'm not going to even talk about that series finale. I've not even processed it yet. **_

**_Disclaimer: If only the BBC and Merlin belonged to me, everyone would be alive and Mergana would have happened in series 1._**

**_Plot: AU/Extended version of the Mergana confrontation. Morgana calls Merlin out for _****_everything he's done, with a magic face-off. The end result is not changed; their destiny is set in stone._**

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The faint rustling of the wind disguised her arrival into their makeshift camp. Maybe if he had heard her light footsteps, he could have been prepared, could have dragged Arthur somewhere more concealed than this far too open plain.

"Emrys." She spoke his name with such poison, such hatred, that it sent a shiver running up his spine, made his head snap upwards as he caught sight of her.

He started to stand, but her eyes flashed golden, and he was sent sailing backwards in a flash, hitting the hard earth with a soft thump. He groaned softly, sitting up slowly as he saw her converse with Arthur. Well, it was more of an one-sided conversation, he was lay there rather helpless.

She wouldn't kill him, he knew that in the logical part of his brain that was attempting to operate. She was watching him, perhaps waiting for him to die. He grunted as he hauled himself to his feet, slipping stealthily through the starless night towards her form. Excalibur glinted in the semi-moonlight, and his fingers slid around the hilt, brandishing it carefully as he approached her from behind. She hadn't noticed him, or so he thought, so he raised the blade, silently apologising.

Before the blade could swing downwards, the hilt was suddenly white-hot, and scalded his hands. Yelling out in pain, he dropped the weapon, eyes flicking upwards to see she was smirking at him, head partially canted.

"Did you really think you could sneak up on me, Emrys?" She demanded, her jade eyes burning intensely into his icy hues. "Do you under-estimate the power of a High Priestess?"

"One thing I have never done is under-estimate you, Morgana." He replied, breathing harsh as he shook his burned hand.

"Do not call me that!" She screamed suddenly, his eyes burning golden as she sent him backwards, colliding with a tree. He hit the leafy terrain, but used magic to keep standing, wanting to maintain at least part of his pride. "And you do not under-estimate me because you know the extent of my powers!"

Arthur started to sit up, visibly paling at the effort, a small gasp of pain torn from his lips. "Morgana...You don't have to do this..."

"Oh, but I do." The smirk had returned as she glanced carelessly at Arthur, before returning her lethal gaze to Merlin, who was standing tall, but could not maintain eye contact, training his eyes on the floor. "I trusted you. There was a time when..." She paused, a look of pained denial on her hardened features.

"I know you won't want to hear it, but I'm sorry." He whispered, his voice broken, still unable to meet her gaze. "I think about what I did all the time. Every time your name is mentioned, every time I hear that you've killed...I think about it, and feel this guilt...This crushing guilt that I can never forgive myself for."

"Its too late for apologies." She snarled, pushing him roughly against the tree with her magic, keeping him pinned there. There was undisguised fury in her eyes, but she was studying him intently, a frown appearing on her face. "You think I can forgive your betrayal so easily? With a few words?" She demanded, eyes burning with unkempt fury and lingering hurt.

He knew it was too late. Too late for her to seek redemption. But the idea...Could he really? Watching Arthur's body jerk with pain, hearing the soft cry elicited from him, he knew he had no choice. He raised his hand, eyes slowly ebbing to gold as he clenched his fingers into a fist. She fumbled in her spell as a vine wrapped around her ankle, tugging her to the ground, where he soon joined her. He was on his feet first, scrambling unsteadily to his feet. She reached for her sword, but he sent it flying away from her, out of reach.

"Are you going to kill me, Merlin?" She laughed, a high-pitched cackle that didn't portray the true emotions in her eyes. "Emrys...Merlin...Does it wound you? To know that everything I've become was partially due to you?"

"I had no choice!" He yelled, a sheen of tears covering his eyes, his entire body trembling as he stood over her. "If I hadn't...Camelot...Morgause...I did it for Camelot, for Arthur!"

"What are you two on about?" Arthur spoke up, wincing as he pushed himself into sitting position. "Am I missing something here?"

"Let me put it simply, so even you can understand." Morgana made no move to stand, nor look at Arthur, but stared up at Merlin, lips curved upwards into a smirk. "Merlin not only kept the secret of his magic from me, when I had discovered mine, but also poisoned me. If it hadn't been for Morgause, I'd be dead."

"I knew the antidote!" Merlin's body shook, biting his lip with such fever he broke the skin. "And I was scared to tell you...You were the King's ward, and the dragon...He told me you were the darkness to my light...He kept telling me I had to...kill you..I argued, I did everything I could, but I had no choice!"

He was too distracted by his protests to see that Morgana had edged sideways rowards the sword. She grabbed it by the point, throwing it his way. In the time it took him to deflect the sword with a gust of wind, she was on her feet. She slashed her hand sideways, and he stumbled, a large gash, as if an invisible sword had struck him, appearing on the side of his head. "That was for my sister." She hissed, before thrusting a fist through the air, conjuring a gust of wind that sent him flying with a yell of, "This is for not helping me when I needed you! For leaving me thinking I was alone!"

He slowed his descent, landing softly on the ground before flaying his palm, wincing as she screamed when he burned her poised hand with one gesture. But she was prepared, and aimed a hand at him. He began to choke immediately, and his hand slid to his throat, attempting to breathe to no avail. Arthur tried to move to help, but collapsed backwards, breathing ragged and harsh.

"Mo...Morgana..." Merlin gasped, writhing as he choked and spluttered, gasps shaking his body. "Don't make me...h-hurt you..."

"Hurt me?" She threw her head back with a wild laugh, eyes wide, looking manical. The loss of Mordred had sent her too far into the abyss of darkness, and there was to be no redemption, he knew that now. "How does it feel, Merlin? I felt the way you feel now when you poisoned me. It hurts, doesn't it?"

He could only splutter and choke, closing his eyes for a brief second. When they re-opened, they burned yellow, brighter than the midday sun, and she found herself suddenly feet in the air.

She went flying forward this time, but was ready, so landed on her feet. What she didn't anticipate however, was a sharp pain in her lower back which caused a whimper to run through her entire body.

"You can't...Kill me..." She gasped, wheeling round to face him, but she found herself swaying, unable to stand. "No...mortal blade can kill me."

"This is no ordinary blade. It was forged in dragon's breath." He whispered, unable to stop the burning of tears as he watched her sway. He had done this. He turned her into this bitter, hollow shadow of the loving girl she was before. And now she was dead by his hand.

"You...You..." Whatever she was going to say was lost as she found her hand on his bicep for support, found herself falling onto him. They both slid to the floor, and she found himself once again dying in his arms. She felt his tears mingling in her hair as he rested his forehead against her, whispering repeatedly, a broken sob, "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...I made you who you are, and if I live to be see the passing of the century, I'll never forgive myself."

She whimpered again as she felt the very life of her leaving. She gazed up at him once last time, seeing his heartbroken face, his tortured eyes, and she understood. She felt no anger, no burning, passionate hatred for the young man holding her dying body in his arms. She had finally found peace.

And that was when the world turned into darkness, for eternity.

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**_I'd love some reviews and favourites so I don't succumb to the black hole of Mergana feels and die a thousand times...Thanks for reading!_**


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